RETURN, v.i. [L. torno.]

1. The act of coming or going back to the same place. Takes little journeys and makes quick returns. – Dryden.
2. The act of sending back; as, the return of a borrowed book or of money lent.
3. The act of putting in the former place.
4. Retrogression; the act of moving back.
5. The act or process of coming back to a former state; as, the return of health.
6. Revolution; a periodical coming to the same point; as the return of the sun to the tropic of Cancer.
7. Periodical renewal; as, the return of the seasons or of the year.
8. Repayment; reimbursement in kind or in something equivalent, for money expended or advanced, or for labor. One occupation gives quick returns; in others, the returns are slow. The returns of the cargo were in gold. The farmer has returns in his crops.
9. Profit; advantage. From these few hours we spend in prayer, the return is great. – Taylor.
10. Remittance; payment from a distant place. – Shak.
11. Repayment; retribution; requital. Is no return due from a grateful breast? – Dryden.
12. Act of restoring or giving back; restitution. – South.
13. Either of the adjoining sides of the front of a house or ground plot, is called a return side. – Moxon.
14. In law, the rendering back or delivery of a writ, precept or execution, to the proper officer or court; or the certificate of the officer executing it, indorsed. We call the transmission of the writ to the proper officer or court, a return, and we give the same name to the certificate or official account of the officer's service or proceedings. The sherif or his subordinate officers make return of all writs and precepts. We use the same language for the sending back of a commission with the certificate of the commissioners.
15. A day in bank. The day on which the defendant is ordered to appear in court, and the sherif is to bring in the writ and report his proceedings, is called the return of the writ. – Blackstone.
16. In military and naval affairs, an official account, report or statement rendered to the commander; as, the return of men fit for duty; the return of the number of the sick; the return of provisions, ammunition, &c.

1. To come or go back to the same place. The gentleman goes from the country to London and returns, or the citizen of London rides into the country and returns. The blood propelled from the heart, passes through the arteries to the extremities of the body, and returns through the veins. Some servants are good to go on errands, but not good to return.
2. To come to the same state; as, to return from bondage to a state of freedom. – Locke.
3. To answer. He said, and thus the queen of heaven return'd. – Pope.
4. To come again; to revisit. Thou to mankind / Be good and friendly still, and oft return. – Milton.
5. To appear or begin again after a periodical revolution. With the year / Seasons return, but not to me returns Day. – Milton.
6. To show fresh signs of mercy. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul. – Ps. vi. To return to God, to return from wickedness, to repent of sin or wandering from duty. – Scripture.

1. To bring, carry or send back; as, to return a borrowed book; to return a hired horse.
2. To repay; as, to return borrowed money.
3. To give in recompense or requital. In any wise, return him a trespass-offering. – 1 Sam. vi. The Lord will return thy wickedness upon thy own head. – 1 Kings ii.
4. To give back in reply; as, to return an answer.
5. To tell, relate or communicate. And Moses returned the words of the people to the Lord. – Exod. xix.
6. To retort; to recriminate. If you are a malicious reader, you return upon me, that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am. – Dryden.
7. To render an account, usually an official account to a superior. Officers of the army and navy return to the commander the number of men in companies, regiments, &c.; they return the number of men sick or capable of duty; they return the quantity of ammunition, provisions, &c.
8. To render back to a tribunal or to an office; as, to return a writ or an execution.
9. To report officially; as, an officer returns his proceedings on the back of a writ or precept.
10. To send; to transmit; to convey. Instead of a ship, he should levy money and return the same to the treasurer for His Majesty's use. – Clarendon.

1. To turn again.
2. To turn back; to go or come again to the same place or condition.
   
   
   "Return to your father's house." Chaucer.

   On their embattled ranks the waves return. Milton.

   If they returned out of bondage, it must be into a state of freedom. Locke.

   Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Gen. iii. 19.

3. To bring, carry, send, or turn, back; as, to return a borrowed book, or a hired horse.
   
   

   Both fled attonce, ne ever back returned eye. Spenser.

4. The act of returning (intransitive), or coming back to the same place or condition; as, the return of one long absent; the return of health; the return of the seasons, or of an anniversary.
   
   

   At the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 1 Kings xx. 22.

   His personal return was most required and necessary. Shak.

5. To come back, or begin again, after an interval, regular or irregular; to appear again.
   
   

   With the year
   Seasons return; but not me returns
   Day or the sweet approach of even or morn. Milton.

6. To repay; as, to return borrowed money.
7. The act of returning (transitive), or sending back to the same place or condition; restitution; repayment; requital; retribution; as, the return of anything borrowed, as a book or money; a good return in tennis.
   
   

   You made my liberty your late request:
   Is no return due from a grateful breast? Dryden.

8. To speak in answer; to reply; to respond.
   
   

   He said, and thus the queen of heaven returned. Pope.

9. To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
   
   

   The Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head. 1 Kings ii. 44.

10. That which is returned.
    
    
    Specifically: (a)
11. To revert; to pass back into possession.
    
    

    And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David. 1Kings xii. 26.

12. To give back in reply; as, to return an answer; to return thanks.
13. The continuation in a different direction, most often at a right angle, of a building, face of a building, or any member, as a molding or mold; -- applied to the shorter in contradistinction to the longer; thus, a facade of sixty feet east and west has a return of twenty feet north and south.
14. To go back in thought, narration, or argument.
    
    
    "But to return to my story." Fielding.
15. To retort; to throw back; as, to return the lie.
    
    

    If you are a malicious reader, you return upon me, that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am. Dryden.

16. The rendering back or delivery of writ, precept, or execution, to the proper officer or court.
    
    
    (b)
17. To report, or bring back and make known.
    
    

    And all the people answered together, . . . and Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. Ex. xix. 8.

18. An official account, report, or statement, rendered to the commander or other superior officer] as, the return of men fit for duty; the return of the number of the sick; the return of provisions, etc.
19. To render, as an account, usually an official account, to a superior; to report officially by a list or statement; as, to return a list of stores, of killed or wounded; to return the result of an election.
20. The turnings and windings of a trench or mine.
    
    

    Return ball, a ball held by an elastic string so that it returns to the hand from which it is thrown, -- used as a plaything. -- Return bend, a pipe fitting for connecting the contiguous ends of two nearly parallel pipes lying alongside or one above another. -- Return day (Law), the day when the defendant is to appear in court, and the sheriff is to return the writ and his proceedings. -- Return flue, in a steam boiler, a flue which conducts flame or gases of combustion in a direction contrary to their previous movement in another flue. -- Return pipe (Steam Heating), a pipe by which water of condensation from a heater or radiator is conveyed back toward the boiler.

21. Hence, to elect according to the official report of the election officers.
    
    
    [Eng.]
22. To bring or send back to a tribunal, or to an office, with a certificate of what has been done; as, to return a writ.
23. To convey into official custody, or to a general depository.
    
    

    Instead of a ship, he should levy money, and return the same to the treasurer for his majesty's use. Clarendon.

24. To bat (the ball) back over the net.
25. To lead in response to the lead of one's partner; as, to return a trump; to return a diamond for a club.
    
    

    To return a lead (Card Playing), to lead the same suit led by one's partner.

    Syn. -- To restore; requite; repay; recompense; render; remit; report.